South Sudan peace deal signed under pressure, says Kiir

May 12, 2014 (JUBA) – South Sudan’s president, Salva Kiir, said political pressure and Friday’s tense atmosphere within the Ethiopian prime minister’s palace ensured a peace agreement with opposition leader Riek Machar was signed without conducting face to face talks.

“The prime minister of Ethiopia (Hailemariam Desalegn) told me you must work for peace today, not tomorrow to stop this death in the country,” Kiir told members of his cabinet and supporters at Juba airport on Sunday.

He said Desalegn uttered the same statements while meeting Machar.

“The prime minister told Riek that you guys will not leave this place if you don’t sign this agreement. He (Desalegn) told me the same statement in the morning (Friday) that if you don’t sign this document, I will imprison you here,” said Kiir.

“I told him [Desalegn] that if you imprison me in this nice house, I am sure I will be well looked after and there will be no need to return to Juba,” he added amidst cheers.

The South Sudanese leader said he wanted to sign the peace deal after reading the entire document while his nemesis demanded adjustments in the final agreement.

President Kiir and his political rival did not hold the proposed direct talks in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa so as to reach a deal on ending the ongoing conflict.

President Kiir said he extended his hand to greet Machar after the Ethiopian leader, separating the two South Sudanese rivals, repeatedly called for peace.

Both warring parties on Friday recommitted themselves to a cessation of hostilities agreement signed on 23 January, but was never observed as fighting escalated.

The speed with which both parties to the conflict agreed on the document spelling out ceasefire, discussion for transitional government and allowing humanitarian access to conflict-affected areas surprised many experts with many doubting their commitment.

On Sunday, rebels accused government troops of breaching the ceasefire deal after it allegedly launched series of attacks on its Unity and Upper Nile states positions.

The South Sudanese army (SPLA) spokesperson, Phillip Aguer dismissed the rebel claims as a "lie" and instead accused the latter of violating Friday’s peace agreement.

(ST)

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12 May 2014 19:07, by Rommel

Let me get this straight... the Ethiopians threatened to *imprison* the sitting ’President’ of a ’Sovereign State’, and Salva Kiir’s only response to this incredibly humiliating prospect comes in the form of a joke!? That he would enjoy his imprisonment so much that he wouldn’t want to return to Juba because he would be "well looked after"!?

This man is a sado-masochist! We have a clown and sado-masochist for a President; a man that doesn’t seem to understand that his imprisonment would have very little to do with him as an individual at that point, but that it would be necessarily intimated with what he supposedly represents > millions of people!

..Millions of people that would be left horrified at the suggestion that they’re quite simply not worthy of the universally accepted norms of international law and diplomacy. Were I Sovereign and this incredibly insulting threat had been directed at me and diplomacy dictated that I hold my tongue... I would not have revealed this, as though it were something to be proud of.

Rommel & Helloearth,
Did u watch how did Dr. Fool Riek Machar perform during the BBC Hardtalk show by Stephen Suk and how did you rate the body language of one of the stupid educated PhD holders in African continent? He avoided to answer the question of his 1991 Nasir faction. Instead he resorted to lying that 23K (23,000) Nuer have been killed in Juba. The total # of Nuer alone in Juba is not 23

Dinkas are the problem in the whole world to be honest. Whether they like it or not, the charismatic visionary and a gift from God leader Dr. Riek machar Teny will be in president. We are ready to make sure that is achieved by any means. Peace with Dinka, is nonsense.

’Ito’
First of all, you’re not an Equatorian, that’s clear as day. We know how Equatorians talk, and you’re certainly not one of them. I don’t care what you’re name is, but I suspect that it’s either Gatluak, Gatwech, Gatdel and so on. Ps: Stop issuing threats on the internet; buy a plane ticket, get a gun and join the war.

Nobody would agree with that statistics that 23K Nuer were killed in Juba, even UNMISS would certainly dispute the figure. The West/ Troika is beginning to realize that they were investing in the wrong self-proclaimed leader who has no vision since 1991, no political program/agenda. Riek was and is still mimicking the real PhD holders like Dr. John Garang to be called hero.

The whole world knows that Dr. Fool Riek has been championing in brutal killings, not only Dinka but also his own tribesmen who refuse to join in in his experimental killings since 1991 and believes that he can rule South Sudan one day before he dies in the absence of Dinka. Why would Riek sow the seed of tribal hatred among his tribesmen who desperately need book but not bullets?

The whole world knows that Dr. Fool Riek has been championing in brutal killings, not only Dinka but also his own tribesmen who refuse to join in in his experimental killings since 1991 and believes that he can rule South Sudan one day before he dies in the absence of Dinka. Why would Riek sow the seed of tribal hatred among his tribesmen who desperately need book but not bullets?

Adodi Jotuwa:
You seem to think that because I criticise Salva Kiir that I must then be in support of Riek when nothing could be further from the truth. Riek is a mass murderer, responsible for the deaths of close to 30, 000 civilians. Every breath that he draws is an act of thievery. He has no right to live after denying tens of thousands of people of their right to breathe.

I think what we as southerners regardless of religious creed or political affiliation should do is to build strong institutions, not strong killers or strong men as Obama said in Cairo. The world should support us to build strong institutions that are bigger than any human being in RSS. The US institutions are strong but founders have already gone and very generation builds on its positivity....

It that possible for dr massacre riak to work under mayradit again ? I think the people of south are in a real chaos illiterate president who doesnt understand what is the meaning of war with professional war lord killing people through out the history making joke and people are died on the dally bases

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